Neji's Shinigami
by kma3000
Summary: Neji is extremely sick and has been diagnosed with poisoning. He's waiting for death but what if he really comes!
1. illness

Summary: Neji is extremely sick as he has been diagnosed with poisoning. His crush died so now he's waiting for death. But what if he really comes!

I never have much to say so don't worry. I won't bore you with rants.

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Chapter 1

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It was raining. Konoha never looked so bleak. There was much thunder, and so much lightning it looked like day. Luckily, there wasn't much wind to pound the heavy raindrops on anyone outside. 

Many were cooped up in their homes wishing for things to clear up--though it wouldn't anytime soon--but they just had to deal with it. One particular person, having milky white eyes with the slightest hint of amythest, long raven hair, and skin as white as snow, was in a way one of those people.

Neji had been going through a lot a stress since he'd turned 16 as Hiashi wanted Neji to become the next heir. He still thought Hinata was too weak and Hanabi was second born and he didn't want to ruin tradition. If Hiashi wasn't forcing the other higher Hyuugas to accept him, he was trying to force feeling of attreaction towards his daughter and heiress, Hinata.

Neji didn't care for Hinata in any other way other than duty and brotherly affection. Neji was now to be married to a broken Hinata.

Announcement of Naruto's disappearance caused Hinata to become upset his death only caused her further heartache. He too was upset that the person who brought him back to light had died but he couldn't be he was killed .

Yes. Uzumaki Naruto, Kanoha's number one ninja of surprises, was **assumedly** assasinated.

He remembered how thing's went. How foolish they all were not to notice. How ashamed they were to realize how late it was that now they notice his absence.

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Things were fine in Kanoha but after a little over a week, people started to notice something missing. It wasn't untill Tsunade had assigned a mission for him and few other shinobi of the Rookie 9 and Gai's team that they noticed the silence.(AN: Took then long enough! The bastards.) Naruto was to be one of the members of the team to go but he never showed up. 

The leader, Shikamaru, was the first to recieve the mission and as he went to inform the others, he couldn't find Naruto. When the team got back to the tower--minus one--they thought about where they had seen the blond last. Then it struck--no one had seen him.

The Hikage had immediately sent out anbu to find him. Now she was nervous. She had been so preoccupied with papers and missions that she hadn't notice the lack of sound--more like screeching--from her 'younger brother'.

The anbu returned reporting that the blond was nowhere in or near Kanoha. To make sure, Tsunade sent Kakashi to double-check the village as he was his sensei and was most likely to recognize Naruto's chakra signature. There was none.

They both reported that when thay checked Naruto's home it looked uninhabited--the dust was collecting all over the place, the food rotted and the garbage was still there making a horrible odor. Checking with his favorie ramen shop, the owner complained how he hadn't seen the young boy at all and thought he was on a mission.

Tsubade sent out teams but they found nothing. Naruto had just disappeared. It wasn't until weeks later did Tsunade recieved reports of an unidentified body found at the bank of a river but wild dogs had already consumed it up to the point where you wouldn't even know it was human and it had rotted into almost nothing.

The only things they had as proof were few shreds of orange clothe scattered about the body and a leaf hitai-ate found a few feet away.

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Neji sighed at the memory. He wished he could have been there more for Naruto and was pushed by Hiashi to comfort the distressed Hinata. His _fiance_, he reminded himself. 

_'That's it'_ he told himself. He must stop thinking of him. It was damaging mentally and emotionally. He was already unfit with his health. The damage done when they went to retrieve the Uchiha had started to affect his body in ways and he was deteriorating slowly.

It was found out too late that the spear that pierced his body those years ago held a small amount of poison that would remain dormant for a while before its spores grew and attacked the body. At the time it had gone unnoticed but after feeling ill a month later, Gai had told iashi and advised he see a doctor.

That was when he found out. When they all found out.

To this day, Tsunade hasn't found a cure but is still trying and going to the hospital had become familiar thing and he hated it. He sometimes felt like death was near but always avoided it. He wasn't afraid because he didn't have much to live for. He was a shinobi, bound to die at any time for his village. His was just a prolonged.

Deciding this was enough thinking and brooding, he silently headed to his room. He lived alone so no one would bother him except other brach members that were concerned, medicnin, Hinata, his team and rarely Hiashi. When reaching his destination, he covered himself and slept, trying to forget his troubles.

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In the middle of the night, Neji stirred in his sleep before waking up. Checking his alarm clock he saw the bright red numbers red 2 a.m. He turned away from the light but was unable to rest.

Neji got up from his bed, seeing no reason to just lay there he headed to the kitchen for a snack but on the way there he suddenly felt weak. His vision blurred as he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain.

Faintly he heard the flapping of wings somewhere around his but he couldn't concentrate for he felt like hot disecting tools were cutting up and examining his innards.

He felt the presence of someone wrap around his body and he looked up with tired eyes, panting heavily staight into shocked cerulean ones. He gasped.

_'Naruto...'_

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Chapter 1 End

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It's not that I hate Tsunade, she's just really busy and everyone else is too preoccupied with themselves.

So yeah. That's it. I'm really now to _peppy_ (brain too slow so excuse lack of a better word) right now but I'm almost always like that. Even my friends say I speak in monotone. If you've read my other stories and I sound _peppy_, that was a rare occasion.

Review if you want more chapters than this. Also check out my profile if you like Fruits Basket.

Right now I'm too tired to stare at the computer screen so...

...bye.


	2. natsuhiko

Sorry it's taken so long people. Believe me, once vacation starts I'll write like there's no tomarrow!

Sort of…

Anyways, if you want to see more chapters, you'll have to update.

So do it.

No really, review. Now.

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Chapter 2

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Neji couldn't believe what he was seeing. No, he wouldn't believe. 

There, right in front of him was Naruto, or at least that's what he thought at first before he realized he was dead. There was no one else he knew who could possibly have those eyes though. It was like staring at a vast, cloudless sky and seeing your reflection through clear waters all at once.

Snapping out of it, he broke eye contact and moved his eyes over the rest of the blond. Mentally, his jaw hit the floor as soon as he did.

Naruto, or at least the look-alike, had his tan skin and facial features looked older than when he died. He looked about Neji's age, the age he would be right now _if_ he were still alive and with them. He had toned muscles but still kept a slim figure.

What changed the most was his hair. It was no longer a blond; or at least fully blond. Half of his hair, mostly the right side, had turned a deep, dark red hue (A/N: like Black Jack except red!) It didn't stick up in all directions either. It was tamer than the Naruto he remembered and had grown out in the back where he kept it in a low pony tail.

It stayed like that for a while; 'Naruto' staring at Neji confusedly and Neji with his jaw still on the floor mentally while analyzing the situation. The figure turned, intending to leave, before the Hyuuga snapped himself out of it and recomposed himself.

He was a Hyuuga. He had too much pride to admit what he just did.

He quickly got into a defensive stance and stared at the stranger who looked so much like Naruto.

"Wait! Who are you?" he hissed.

The figure froze and turned with wide eyes. He looked shocked at the Hyuuga before replying.

"Y-you can see me?!"

Honestly, no one was supposed to be able to see him, at least, no one living. Only those extremely close to death were the only ones able to see death shinigami, if everyone did, they'd be surprised at how young and human they looked.

"Of course I can, now tell me, who are _you _andwhy are you impersonating**Naruto**" he growled.

This person was becoming an annoyance. Who was he to come into his house uninvited and so mysteriously without telling him. Also, he was impersonating Naruto—or at least trying to—a ninja he respected and a dead one too.

He either had no respect for the dead or was incredibly stupid and wasn't aware that his friend had died years ago. Or both.

"You aren't supposed to be able to see me-"

"Why? Are you some type of assassin?!" he snarled. He couldn't stand looking at this person.

"It is because I am dead. I am a shinigami, a servant of the Death God. Humans aren't supposed to be able to see us unless they are at their final seconds of death before we collect their souls."

He paused, allowing Neji to digest the information. The Hyuuga male still looked tense and unbelieving. He continued.

"Hyuuga Neji, you are my assignment. I am to watch over you and make sure you don't die until your proper time of death. Furthermore, I don't know any Naruto, my name is Natsuhiko."

"I'm tired of your games!"

With that, the Hyuuga prodigy went on the offensive. Naruto—or Natsuhiko—sighed and moved away, dodging his strikes gracefully without any effort.

Neji went into his 64 strikes mode but Natsuhiko caught is wrists and held him against the wall with his hands above his head and body flush against the Hyuuga's to prevent any kicking.

"Look, let me prove it to you. Then will you stop wasting energy, you need to keep your health."

The Hyuuga struggled a bit and realized he couldn't escape. He briefly hesitated before nodding unwillingly.

Smiling slightly, the 'blond' let the prodigy go and stepped back a few steps. Neji quickly, though he'd die before he admitted it, moved until at a comfortable distance away and nodded saying he was ready for this _proof_.

Natsuhiko then closed his eyes and seconds later, 3 pairs of large, beautiful, black wings erupted from his back. Soon after, a dark light emanated from his hand and a scythe appeared in front of his palm before he twirled it in between his fingers and firmly grasped it in his hand.

To say Neji was shocked was an understatement. Here in front of him was a shinigami, made to protect him until he's supposed to die. He knew he was trying to keep the fate thing to a minimum, but he really had to believe he was fated to meet this person, this Natsuhiko who looked so much like Naruto.

The he became angry. The shinigami was just preserving him until he dies so he could take his soul. As if saving fruit until it was ripe enough to eat or holding down calves until they were tender enough to kill.

As if reading his mind—in his case, feeling his anger—Natsuhiko put his scythe away to hold up both hands.

"Calm down. You should be grateful to know how many days you've left to live. Also, I said I'd be protecting you so you don't die till then."

This was true. He couldn't take his anger out on the boy—thing. He thought for a moment before an idea popped.

"Tell me, my illness has caused me to become useless and I wish to train to the best of my abilities and continue to do missions. Could you help me fulfill my wish before I must depart, seeing as it is you who will watching over me."

The ½ blond ½ red head smiled in understanding. He nodded gleefully and for an instant, Neji could swear he could see the blond in him.

"Hai. You're a special case; you're the only one to have ever been able to see a shinigami while not on death's doorstep. It's the least I could do, I hope we can be friends."

Neji nodded also, keeping his stoic face in place, but if looking closely you could just make out the tilt at the side of his mouth and the speck of warmth and determination in his eyes.

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End

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Yeah. So like I said, review. I don't know how many people have read without reviewing but I hope it's a lot. 

Once again — R&R! 


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